Wire-twisting machine



April .26 1927' A. J. GERRARD ET AL WIRE TwIsTING MACHIE Filed April 5. 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l -Aprl 26., 1927.

A. J. GERHARD ET AL WIRE TwIs'TING MACHINE Filed April 5, 1920 s sheets4sneez 2 IIIIIIIIHH! m 1 IwMIIH lec l Gerrard and Pearl/n Might, 5y

ET AL A. J. GERHARD WIRE TWISTINCSr MACHINE Filed April 5, 1920 Patented Apr. 2k6, 1927.

UNITED STATES ALEC J.' GEBRARD AND YARVIN WRIGHT, or' CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; SAID 'WRIGHT ASSIGNOR TO SAID GERBARD.

WIEE-TWISTING MACHINE.

Application led April 5, 1920. Serial No. 371,368.

rlhis invention relates to Wiretying machines and has for its object to prov1de`a machine of this character which will be comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and more efficient in action than those heretofore' proposed. l

With these and other objects in view the invent-ion consists in the novel details of construction and combinations of parts, more fully hereinafter disclosed and particularly pointed -out in the claims.

Referring to theaccompanymg drawings forming a part of this' 'specification in whlch like numerals designate like parts inall the l views Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevational f view of a machine made in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary View of a modi- Ilied form of wire cutting mechanism;

Figure shown in Figure 2;

Figure 3a is a detail view of the wire holding hookand its coacting parts 5' V Figure 4 is a partially sectional plan view of the parts shown in Figure 1;

Figure 5 shows views of the flattened end of the tying wire; y Figure 6 is a diagrammatic sectional view showing the .wire-tensioning mechanism and its coacting parts;

Figureg7 is a View on the line 7-7 of Figure 6 looking in the direction of 'the arrows;

Figure 8 is a View on the line 8-8 of Figure 6 lookingin the directionof the arrows; y

'n' gure 9 .represents a wire 'hold1ng'post;

and

4o Figurel() is a sectional view taken on the line 10-10 of Figure 6 looking in the direction of the arrows.

1 indicates any suitable frame work, provided with the extension 2 constituting a handle, 3 a main operating shaft carrying the spiral gear 4, meshing with the gear 5,A

. having the wire tensioning slotted shaft 6, and 7 represents a cylinder also carried by the shaft 3. 8 indicates a gear rigid with said cylinder 7 and shaft.3, meshing with the gear 9, having the-bearings 10. The framel is provided with the forwardly extending foot or lug 11, and also with the member or bracket 13, secured thereto as.

3 is a sectional View of the parts r reciprocating -pusher member 35 having the at `14, and provided with the forwardly extending lug l2.

The lugs 11 and 12 are each provided with a slot 15 with'which slots 16 in the bearings 10, and the slot 17 in the gear 9, are adapted to register, as will be clear from Fi s. 1 and 7. 18 and 19 represent a pair y o slotted wire holding pins) and 20 and 21 two bights of the wire 22. 23 indicates a groove in the cylinder 7, 24 a single tooth carried by said cylinder, 25 a earwithwhich saidtooth engages, 26 a' -s aft ony which said gear is mounted, 'and 27 a cutter disk yhaving the cutter teeth .28 and 29 rigid with the gear 25, as will be best understood from Figs. 1 and 10.`

30 represents alhookpivoted to the mem-- ber 13 asat 31, 'and provided with the curved hand" operated extension 32,. Said hook member 30 is also provided with` the extension 33 to which 1s piv'o't'ed as at 34 the flat extending lip 36 underlying the end 37 of the wire, and also having the bent portion 38 .positioned behind said end, all1as will be clear. from Figs. 32i and 4, As best shown in Fig, 5,?thel wire 22 near one end v is provided with a Hat portion and shoulder 41. --The slotted holding post 18, vas best shown in Fig. 9, is rovided with the tapered opening 42'lead1ng tothe straight slot 43, of a dimension to accommodate the outer bight 21 of the wire, yand with the inner slit 44 of a dimension sufficient to only accommodate the Hat portion 40 of the wire. In other words, the machine is provided with 'any suitable means having two open ended slots, one of which is a slit with a width slightly greater than the thickness of the reduced portion of the wire, but less than the normal diameter of said Wire, while the other is a slot of a width slightly greater thanl said' normal diameter of the wire. The open ends of the slots enable the user to readily insert into the same and to withdrawtherefrom, not only the deformed end of the wire, but also the bight of said wire which latter feature greatly facilitates the l operation of banding boxes. As will be vclear from Figs. 6, 8, and 10, the shaft 3 has keyed thereto the cylindrical member 50, which member is slotted `or cut out to accommodate the pawls'l and 52 mounted on the common shaft 53 and controlled by the springs 54 and 55 respectively. Surrounding said member 5() is the above mentioned spiral. gear 4, having on its interior y the notch 5 6 with which the pawl engages when the shaft 3 is turned in one direction. And .also surrounding said member is the hollow extension 58 provided with the notch 59 with which the pawl 52 engages when said shaft 3 is turned in an opposite direction.

The operation of this machine is as follows. The flat surface of the frame l, is laid flat down upon the package to be wired, whereupon the hand readily lifts the gravity actuated hook 3,0 and inserts the fiat portion 40 lof the wire into the slit 44 of the post 18, where it is held by reason of the shoulder '41 on the end 37, contacting with said post.

'lhe bight 20 of said wire is now passed-into the taperedslots 15 of the ,feet or lugs 11 and v12, and into the slots 16 and 17 of the wire twisting gear 9, thence through the slot of post 19, and under the tensioning post 6, -around the boX 66 and back under gravity actuated hook 80. From the hook 3Q the bight21 passes into the larger slot 43 of the post 21, into the slots 15, 16, and 17 as before, into the slot of post 19, and into the slot 67 of the tensioning'post 6." Gravity actuated latch or hook 30 thus serves to hold the bights 20 and 21 in their parallel .relations during the tensioning and twisting operations. Said ,slot 67 is surrounded by the' helical rib 68 behind which the bight 21 passes, and the turning of which holds said bight well in said slot. The handle69 may now be turned in the proper direction to make the pawl 51 engage the notch 56, whereupon the spiral gear 4 will rotate the spiral gear and thus will'the tensioning post 6 be rotated to tight-- en the Wire around the boit 66. The wire 20 being thus put under tension, and the Ispiral,

gears 4 and 5`being mutually self-locking, it will be automatically held under tension while the rotation of shaft 3 is reversed, without letting go of the handle 69, and the pawl 52 made to engage the notch 59 in the hollow extension 58 of the cylinder 7 Thus are the said cylinder, gear 8 and slotted gear 9 rotated, to twist the bights 20 and 21 together. It will be observed that said bights are held against rotation by the posts 18 and 19, that the slots 15 and 16 are large enough topermit said bights to rota-te therein, and

that the slot of the gear 19 is so narrow that it causes said bights to rotate around the cen- .ter of said gear, with the result that a twisted tie of great strength is produced.

'After leaving said post 19, as will be clear from Figs. 1 and 10, the bight 20 passes downwardly while the bight 21 passes upwardly, and owing to this separation, one

of the cutters 28 and 29 severs said bight' 21 the instant the twisting operation is completed. That is to say, the tooth 24 turns the gear 25, 60 for each rotation of the shaft 3,

and therefore after three twists have been put' in the bights, one of the cutters is brought into its severing position. After the bight 21 is thus severed, a throw of the hand strikes the extension 32, which .lifts the hook 30, and causes the pusher member 38 to force the flat portion 40 out of the slit 44, while the severed end of the wire is readily removed from the tensioning post 6.

In the somewhat modified form lof gear and cutter illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, the,

cylinder 7 is provided with the tooth 70 of the shape shown, while the Geneva stop mechanism 71 is substituted for the gear 25, and the gear teeth 7 3 and 74 are somewhat hooked shaped. Otherwise, the parts are, or may be, the sameas previously described in connection with Figs. 1 and 10.

It will now be clear that by flattening the end of the wire 22 in the manner disclosed,

the owner of the machine is enabled to in# duce the user to employ only that high grade of wire that is furnished him, and thereby to prevent the failures and bad knots which often result from the use of wire not -of a suitable quality for this kind of work.

In other words, the user cannot himself readily Hatten the ends 37 of the binding only thus partially guarantees that the user' will employ a certain kind of high grade wire that is furnished him, but it affords a mechanism which is unusually quick and eiiicient in action. For the shaft 3 may be.

reversed from its tensioning operation into of time, and they extension 32 of the hook 30 enables a swift movement of the hand to disengage the end 37 of the wire from the post 18 also in a minimum of time. The feet, or lugs 11 and 12 of the machine afford a meansfor preventing the machine from lifting, or tilting, during the twisting operation, and the rear frame extension 90, not only affords a means for holding the machine by hand down to its work, but also a space for a name plate 91. The entire frame is comparatively light in weight so that the machine can be readily lifted and applied to the package. The tapered slots 15 in the feet 11 and 12 greatly facilitate the entering of the wire bights into said slots, while the downward inclination of said'slots render itl an easy matter to slip the said feet 11 and 12 from under the finished, twisted'knot.

`its wire twisting operation in a minimum It will also be clear that instead of flattening the end of the lwire as illustrated in Fig. said wire may be only reduced in diameter or rounded o ver the portion 40. As a matter of'fact, when a wire is compressed in such manner as to thus reduce its diameter, y'it is hardened, and therefore has a greater tensile strength than the soft portions of the Wire. Of course, such rounded portions would be provided with the same holding shoulders- 41 as is the case in Fig. 5. A' convenient way of making these rounded reduced secs tions aswell as of making the flattened ref duced sections 40 is to provide an vatta'jehment to the cutting machine sothat as portions of coiled wire` are passed through saidf sever said portions vinto* said attachment will lre-- cutting machine to convenientlengths, duce the cross section of the wire. near tb, end to `be cut off. Further, if 'it is desire. to have each end of the cut ofi' wire reduced` in crossv section as illustrated in Fig. 5, attachments `will be placed on the cuttiii machine, on each side of the rounded po. tionf37 shown in Fig.'5, and two reduce portions 40 will be thus put into the wire while the cutting-will be done, at or near the 'middle of vthe unreduced portions 37.v By this means each section of wire that encircles the package will have each end provided with a reduced portion-40 which may be either .fiat, round or of any other cross section. f

may vary the details of construction as well as the arrangement of parts without depart inb by the claims. l

What is claimed is 1. In a wire tying machine, the con'ibina-ll tion of a frame; an operating shaft; a wire' tensioning means; a wire twisting means; and connections between said shaft and'said wire tensioning, and wire twisting means, whereby upon turning said shaft in one direction the wire will be tightened and 'by reversing the motion of said shaft the wire will be twisted, substantially as described. 2.. In a wire tying machine, the combination of a frame; an operating shaft; al wire tensioning means, a wire twisting means; and connections comprising a pair of oppositely disposed pawls between said shaft and said wire tensioning, and vwire, twisting means, whereby upon turning said shaft in one direction the wire .will be tightened and by reversing the motion of said shaft the wire will be twisted, substantially -as described.

. 3. In a wire tying machine, the combination of a frame; an operating shaft; a wire tensioning means; a wire twisting means;

and connections comprising a pair of self #rife -v withv a1s`litof a width less than the diameter It is obvious that those skilled in the-'fart` fr from the spirit of the invention, and,

V the diameter of sa locking gears and a pair ofoppo'sitely dis posed pawls between said shaft and said wire tensioning, and wire twisting means, whereby upon turning said shaft in onedii'ection the wire will 'be tightened and by reversing the motion of said shaft the wire will be twisted,substantially as described.

4.*1'11 awire tying machine, the combinai tion of a frame; an operating shaft; a wire tensioning means; a wire twisting means; a wire cutting means; and connections between said shaft and said wire tensioning, and

wire ,twisting means, whereby upon turning fsai'd shaft` in one direction the wire will be tightened and by reversing the motion of said 'shaft'the wire will be twisted and severed, substantially as described.

wire tying machine, the combination ofayframe; an operating shaft; a wire nsioni'ng means; a wire twisting means; a vcutting means comprising a gear; "t'od-rive said gear and rotating said d"connections between said shaft ensioning, and wire twisting ipon turning said shaft in e wire will be tightened and vifstfed, substantially as del i tying machine, the combinatio `ofa frame; awire twisting means; and holdingv means in said frame provided (if -Sfaid wire adapted to' receive and hold -a flattene-dy portion off lthe wire during the wis'tngv operation, substantially as deis ibed.

n wlfe tying nia-chinalthe-combinatio f a frame;,.a-1wire'twisting means; and

and hold va fiattene ing-"the twisting op described.

tion, :substantially "as fing the motion-lofsaid shaft the -v 8. In a wire tyin'fr`..i1 iacl'1ine,.the-combination'of a frame; awire twisting means; and a wire holding nieans provided with a slit of a width less than the diameter oi' said wire adapted to receive a flattened port-i011 of the wire and with a slot adapted to receive a round portion of a bight of said wire, substantially as described.

9. In' a wire tying machine, the combination of a frame; a wire twisting means; a wire holdin means provided with a slit to receive a attened portion of the wire and with a slot adapted to receive a round poition of a biglit of said wire; a `wire tensioning means adapted to receive said bight; and

a shaft and connections for operating said wire twisting and tensioning means, substantially as described.

10.111 a wire tying machine, the combination of a frame; a wire twisting means; a

lll

wire holding means provided with a slit to receive a flattened porti'oiiof the wire and with ayslot adapted to receive a round portion of a bight -ofi-said wire; and means to 12. In a wire tying machine; the combina tion'iof a frame; a' wire twisting means; a wire holding means provided with a slit to receive a flattened portion of the wire and with a slot adapted to receive a round portion of a bight of said wire; a tensioning` means; a severing means; and a reciprocating means adapted to force said flattened portion out of. said sl1t after said severing means has'been operated, substantially as described.

` 13. In a wire tying machine,v the combination of a wire twisting means; a slotted forwardly projecting foot; means to hold a 'flattened end of the wire; a hook to hold abight of said wire; and an extension of said hook adapted to be struck by the hand "pto release said bight, substantially as de- 'vfvscrib'ed 14:. .In a wire tying machine, the combination of a wire twistingv means;l a slotted forwardly projecting foot adapted t0 steady the machine during the twisting operation; means to hold a deformed end of the wire; a wire tensioning means; a severing means; a hook to hold abight of said wire; and an extension of said hook adapted to be struck by .the hand to release said bight7 substantially as described.

15. In a wire tying. machine, -the combina# tion of a wire twisting means; a slotted for-, wardly projecting foot adapted to steady Athe machine during the twisting operation;

means to hold a deformed end of the wire a wire tensioning means; a severing means; a

single shaft operating said twisting tensioning and wire severing means; a hook to hold a4 bight -of said wire; and an extension of said hook adapted to be struck by the hand to release said bight, substantially as de scribed. y

16. In a wire tying machine, the combination of a frame provided with a handle by whichl the mach'ne may be lifted, an extension by which it may be held down to the work and adapted to receive a name plate and with a pair of forwardly extending slotf. ted feet, in combination with a wire twistin means; a wire tensioning means; and a s iaft adapted to operate both of said twist ing and tensioning means, substantially as described.

17 In a wire tying machine, the combina tion of a frame provided witha handle by which the machine. may be lifted; an eXtension by which itv may be held down to the work and adapted toreceive a name plate and with a pair of forwardly extending slotted feet, in combination with av wire twisting means; a wire tensioning means; a shaft adapted to operate both of said twist ing and tensioning means; a wire holding means provided with a slit adapted to hold a flattened portion of the wire; and means to force said flattened port-ion out of said slit after the twisting operation; substantially as described, v x

18. `In a wire tying machine, the combination of a frame provided with a handle by which the machine may be lifted; an extensionlby which it may be held down to the work and adapted to receive a namev plate and withV a 'pair of forwardly extending slotted feet, in combination with a wire twisting means; a wire tensioning means comprising spiral gears; a shaft associated with oppositely disposed driving pawls adapted to operate both of said twisting and tensioning means; a wire holding means provided with a slit adapted to hold a flattened portion of the wire; means to. force said flattened portion out of said slit afterthe twisting operation; a wire severing means; and a hook having a curved extension for holding and releasing said wire, substantially as described.

19. In a wire tying machine the combination of a wire twisting means; means of less dimensions' than the cross section of the wire adapted to receive and hold a deformed portion of said wire; and means to hold and tension another portion of said wire prior to the twisting operation, substantially las described. f

20. In a wire tying machine the combination of .a frame adapted to receive two parallel disposed bights of a wire one of whose ends is provided with a deformed portion; means of less dimensions than the cross section of the wire adapted to receive and hold said deformed portion; means adapted to receive and hold the other end of said wire; and means adapted to' twist together said bights; substantially as describe l 21. In a wire tying machine the combination of a wire twisting means; meanspf less dimensions than the cross section of the wire adapted to hold a deformed .end 4of the wire during the twisting operation; and meansl for holding and tensioning the other end of said wire prior to the twisting operation, substantially 'as described.

a 22. In a wire tying machine, the combination of a frame; a wlre twisting means; and

a wire holding means in said frame provided with a pair of open ended slots, one of which'has a width less than the normal diameter of said wire, and the other of which has a width greater than-said normal diameter, said last named slot adapted to receive a bight of` said wire' prior tothe twisting operation, substantially yas described. y 23. In a wire tying machine, the combination of a frame; a wire twisting means; and a wire holding means provided with a slot of a width less than the normal diameter ot' the wire adapted to receive a flattened portion of said wire, and said holding means also provided with an open ended slot of a width greater'than the normal diameter of 'the wire adapted to receive a bight of said wire, substantially as described.

24. In a wire tying machine, the combination o f means of less width than the normal cross section of the wire adapted to receive and hold a deformed portion of said wire, and means to hold and tension another portion of said wire prior to the twisting operation, substantially as described.

25. In la wire tying machine, the com bination of a frame adapted to receive two parallel disposed bights of a wire one of whose ends is provided with a reduced portion; means carried by said frame having a slot of al less.- dimension than the normal diameter of said bights adapted to receive and hold said reduced portion ;`means adapted to hold the other end of said wire; and means adapted to twist .together said bights, substantially as described.

26. In a wire tying machine the combination of a wire twisting means; means ofa `lesswidth than the normal cross section of the wire adapted to receive and hold a deformed end of the wire during the twisting operation; and means for holding and tensioning the other end of said wire prior to the twisting operation, substantially as described.

27. In a wire tying machine, the combination of a wire tensioning means; a wireA means; means provided with a slot` of less width than the diameter of the wire twisting for receiving and holding a deformed por# tion of the wire prior to the tensioning operation; and means for receiving andl holding another portion of said wire prior to the scribed. v Y

A28. In a wire tying machine, the combina tion of means for exerting a tension on the.

wire; means comprising a slotted post and pinion for twisting said 'wire while under tension; 'and' means slidable longitudinally of said post adapted `to positively disengage the twisted completion'v of 4.the twisting operation,` substantially as described.l

29. In a wire tying machine the combination of means for exerting a tension on the wire; means comprising a holding post and a slotted pinion for twisting said wire while under tension; means adapted to automaticallyy sever said wire at the end of the twisting' operation; and means tudinally of disengage the twlsted 'wire from said post after the com tion, substantlally as described.

30. In a wire tying machine, the-combination of means for tensioning a wire; lmeans for twistingz iid wire while under tension; means comprising a stationary slotted element, through which said wire passes to hold said Wire during the twisting operaoperatlng said slidable wire disengaging means.

movable'L longilf said post adapted to positively letion of the twisting operawire from said post upon the 31. In a wire tying machine, the combination of a holding post adapted to receivel two bights of a wire to be twisted; a gravity actuated latch normally holding said bights in. said post; and means operated by said latch for forcibly ejecting said bights after the twisting operation, substantially as 'described.

32. In a wire tying machine, the combination of a holding post adapted to receive two bights of a wire to be twisted; a latch pivoted at oneextreme end of the machine normally holding under the action of gravity said bights in said post; and means operated by said latch -for forcibly ejecting said bights after the twisting operation, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof wev 'affix our'signains 

